Sheet handling apparatus



Aug. 2.8, 1962 O. L. GORE SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 23, 1958 United States Patent 3,151,479 Patented Aug'. 28, 1962 dce 3,051,479 SHEET HANDLING APPARATUS Owen L. Gore, Hillsdale, NJ., assigner to Miehle-Goss- Dexter, Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 23, 1958, Ser. No. 737,307 11 Claims. (Cl. 271-68) This invention relates to sheet handling apparatus, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for receiving and piling sheets of tin plate and other metallic material as the same are discharged from various processing machines.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel method of and an improved sheet piling apparatus of novel, simple and durable construction that will receive and evenly pile a successive series of rapidly moving sheets of metallic material without scratching their surfaces or otherwise injuring the same.

Another object is to provide an improved sheet piling apparatus wherein the successive sheets are temporarily and magnetically suspended and caused to move on a substantially horizontal plane and simultaneously magnetically causing the forward speed thereof to be decelerated until they are completely over piling position whereupon said sheets will bodily fall flatwise one on top of the other to form an even pile.

A still further object is to provide an improved sheet piling apparatus having novelly arranged sheet slow-down means and magnetic means for attracting and temporarily holding each sheet in contact with the sheet slow-down means wherein the successive sheets are caused to move and be decelerated on a substantially horizontal plane until they are completely over piling position whereupon said sheets will fall ilatwise one on top of the other to form an even pile.

The above and further objects and novel features of the present invention will more fully appear from the following detail description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only, and are not intended as a delinition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,

FIG. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a sheet delivery embodying the present invention; and

FIG. 2. is an enlarged bottom View of the sheet slowdown and magnetic supporting means taken on line 2-2 of FIG. l with the sheet broken away for purposes of clearer illustration.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown one form of a high speed sheet delivery apparatus embodying the present invention which is particularly adapted for slowing down and piling sheets of tin plate as the same are delivered to said apparatus at a speed of approximately 1Z0-150 sheets per minute from a combined drying or baking oven and sheet turnover unit employed in the processing or making of metal articles or containers. It will be understood, however, that the high speed sheet delivery apparatus disclosed herein may be advantageously and effectively employed in connection with other machines for slowing down and piling sheets of tin plate or other metal sheets of a magnetic character as the same are discharged from said machines.

In the illustrated embodiment, the sheets of tin plate pass in rapid succession from the baking oven and turnover unit with their treated surfaces uppermost onto a horizontally disposed endless conveyor which advances said sheets at a high speed away from said unit to a pile delivery 11 wherein sheets are piled one on top of the other in an orderly pile for further handling thereof. Conveyor 10 comprises a plurality of transversely spaced and parallel endless belts 12 the rear ends of which pass around a suitable roller or rollers (not shown) located adjacent the discharge end of the sheet turnover mechanism. The front ends of belts 12 pass around a plurality of rollers 13 which are fixed in spaced relation on a transversely extending shaft 114. This shaft is journalled at its opposite ends in suitable bearings provided in transversely spaced rear uprights 16. Uprights 16 form part of the pile delivery frame which includes two transversely spaced similar front uprights 17, said uprights being bolted to the machine foundation and connected together by side members 18. The front uprights 17 are connected together at the tops thereof by a stay shaft 20, the rear uprights 16 are connected together at the tops thereof by a stay shaft 21, and at vertically spaced points below the belt roller shaft 14 by cross members 22 and 23.

The belts 12 are continuously driven to advance the sheets of tin plate at a high rate of speed in a continuously moving procession from the baking oven and turnover unit to the pile delivery 11, and said operation may be efected, as desired, directly from said unit or from a separate source of power, such as an electric motor carried by the pile delivery frame and connected by suitable known means with the belt roller shaft 14.

If desired, advancing rollers and cooperating pressure rollers may be located at the discharge end of conveyor 10 in the same manner as disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,626,800, granted J an. 27, 1953 to George A. Martin, to further advance and guide the sheet `as it leaves the endless conveyor.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, sheet slow-down and magnetic supporting means of novel construction are provided in the space over the piling position for the creating of magnetic fields to cause the sheet as it leaves the endless conveyor at a high rate of speed to be decelerated and at the same time to move forward in a substantially horizontal plane into space until approximately the entire sheet is disposed over the piling position. In this manner, the successive sheets are advanced under positive control to piling position, each succeeding `sheet is decelerated, supported and suspended in space and is prevented from dragging along and marring the upper surfaces of a preceding delivered and piled sheet, and upon reaching piling position the successive sheets will bodily yfall atwise one on top of the other in an accumulated pile thereof.

As shown in FIG. l of the drawings, the sheet slowdown and supporting means comprises a plurality of transversely spaced and parallel endless belts 24 and a plurality of permanent horseshoe or U-shaped magnets '25, 26 mounted in the space above the pile support and over a portion of the horizontal path of movement of said sheets in said space. Each belt 24 is mounted for movement on a pair of spaced apart rolls 27. Rolls 2.7 are slidably mounted on parallel shafts 28, 29 which are secured at their opposite ends to side members 30 of the delivery frame. The rolls 27 and belts 24 carried thereby are therefore adjustable horizontally from side to side along shafts 28, 29 to accommodate a variety of sheet widths and may be secured in any desired position of adjustment thereon by set screws 321. The lower reaches of endless belts 24 are adapted to be contacted by portions of the upper surface of the sheets and to enable the forward speed `of each sheet to be slowed down by such contact said belts are driven continuously and at a sur-face speed slower than the surface speed of belts 12. For this purpose the driven belt roller Shaft 14 has fixed thereon adjacent one end thereof a spur gear 32 which meshes with and drives a gear 33 which is larger than gear 32 and is journalled on `a stud which is secured in any suitable manner in the upright 16. Gear 33 meshes with and drives an idler gear 34 that is journalled on a stud which is secured in any suitable manner on side plate 30. Idler gear 34 meshes with and drives a gear 35 which is fixed on and drives shaft 28. End-less belts 24 are thus driven continuously by shaft 14 in the same direction as belts 12 and at a slower surface speed than the surface speed of said belts -through gears 33, 34, 25 and spur gear 32. Endless belts 24 are also mounted such that the forward ends thereof are positioned lower than the rear ends so that the sheet contacting surfaces of said belts are at a forwardly inclined position to enable said sheet slow-down and supporting means to more effectively receive each sheet as it is fed into said space from conveyor 12.

Mounted above endless belts 24 are a plurality of horseshoe or U-shaped magnet elements and transversely positioned in relation to said belts such 4that the magnetic fields therefrom extend generally downwardly between said belts and into and through the horizontal path of the sheet in said space. Each of magnets 25, 26 has a north land south pole, indicated at N and S, with magnetic fields 36, 38 respectively, extending between said unlike poles. Magnets 25,' 26 are mounted on plate 39 in a spaced apart position to each other with the adjacent poles of each magnet being unlike poles so that a further magnetic field 37 is created between said magnets.

As herein shown, the magnets 25, 26 are supported on an auxiliary frame comprising side members 40 and front parallel cross members 41, 42. Cross members 41, 42 are secured to brackets 43 (not shown) slidably mounted on the side members 40'. Cross member 42 also supports sheet joggling devices hereinafter to be described in detail. The cro-ss members 417 E42 and the magnets 25, 26 together with the sheet jogging devices carried thereby are therefore adjustable rearwardly and forwardly along the side members 40 and may be secured in any desired position of adjustment thereon by set screws which are threadedly secured in brackets 43. The auxiliary frame is pivotally mounted at the rear thereof, as indicated at 45, on upright supports 46 secured to side members 18 of the auxiliary frame. The auxiliary frame is supported at the front thereof by laterally projecting -brackets 47 secured in the front uprights 17. It will be noted that the pivotal mounting of the auxiliary frame enables said frame with the front magnets and the sheet jogging devices carried thereby to yield upwardly in the event the elevator of the pile support mechanism to be hereinafter described is accidently raised too high, thus preventing damage to the sheet jogging devices through engagement of the pile supporting platform therewith. The magnets 25, 26 are supported by a bracket 48 comprising a generally vertically extending portion 49 and a horizontally extending portion 5t). Bracket 48 is movably supported on parallel cross members 41, 42 and said bracket together with the magnets 25, 26 carried thereby are therefor adjustable horizontally from side to side along the cross members 41, 42 and may be secured in any desired position of adjustment thereon by the use of suitable setfscrews threadedly engaged throught the upper portion of said bracket and into cross member 41. Magnets 25, 26 with their open ends pointed downwardly are secured at their top portions to a` plate 39 which is suitably secured for example by bolts, to two longitudinally spaced vertically extending bars 51 the upper ends of which are adapted to fit into apertures -2 in horizontal portion 50' of bracket 48. Plate 39 has a series of apertures to permit bars 51 to be bolted thereto at several positions on said plate. Bars 51 are vertically adjustably secured in apertures 52 by set screws 53. Magnetic fields 36, 37 and 38 of magnets 25 and 26 are strong enough to support the leading portion of each sheet and hold the same in contact with the endless beltsbut are not of suicient intensity to support the entire weight of each sheet against said belts. Magnets 25 and 26 are also positioned a sufficient distance above the lower reaches of belts 24 to prevent the sheets from coming into Contact therewith. Endless belts 24 are positioned apart from each other a sufficient distance to prevent the central portion of each sheet, as it is magnetically lifted and held in contact with said belts, from being pulled upwardly and into contact with the magnets. Magnets 25, 26 not only serve to lift the sheets and hold the same in contact with the endless belts but the intensity of the magnetic lields 36, 37 and 38 of said magnets is great enough to cause the forward speed of each sheet to be decelerated. Thus there are two decelerating forces acting upon each sheet. While the forward movement of each sheet is decelerated as it moves forward in said space the complete stopping of the forward movement thereof occurs when the leading edge strikes the cushion 72 of the front sheet jogger 60 whereby the sheet falls flatwise by gravity a short distance onto a piling platform or skid 58. Endless belts 24, in addition to the above described operation, may be held stationary or caused to move in a direction opposite from the direction of belt 12 whereby the decelerating force acting upon each sheet which is magnetically lifted into contact with said belts may be varied.

In operation, as each sheet enters into the space over the pile support at a high rate of speed it is subjected to the following composite forces. Each sheet enters said space at a high rate of speed and the leading edge thereof tends to drop downwardly the further into said space that it travels. Centered over the forward portion of said spiace are endless belts 24 and magnets 25 and 26 having magnetic fields 36, 37 and 38 ywhich extend downwardly into and through the normal horizontal path of movement tof said sheets. As the leading portion of each sheet enters into said magnetic fields it is lifted upwardly toward magnets 25 and 26 and into contact with slowly moving endless belts 24 whereby the forward speed thereof is decelerated Iby a combination o-f the frictional contact lwith and the slower speed of said belts and the intensity of said magnetic fields. As the leading portion of each sheet moves into said magnetic field, as described above, the trailing portion leaves the conveyor 10 and is pulled downwardly by gravity. Since the magnets 25 and 26 cannot support the weight of Ithe entire sheet, it will be peeled downwardly away from belts 24 and said magnets. Each sheet moves forward for a short distance at a greatly decelerated speed and lin a rearwardly inclined position until it strikes the front sheet joggers 60 which stops all forward movement whereby the sheet falls flatwise by gravity a short distance onto the platform 58. As the trailing end of each sheet lfalls downwardly, as described above, the leading end of the succeeding sheet enters into said space and the above described cycle is f repeated giving in effect a shingling of successive sheets in space.

In the piling of lightweight sheets, it may not be necessary to utilize the belts 24 to assist in the deceleration of each sheet. If desired, the magnets 25 and 26 may be employed alone without the use of endless belts 24. In such an embodiment the magnets 25, 26 are positioned sufficiently above the path of each sheet into the space over the pile support so that the magnetic fields 36, 37, 38 extend through said path and support each sheet in a floating path through said space. The intensity of the magnetic elds is not sufficient to lift the sheet into contact with the magnets but temporarily supports eac-h sheet in a float-ing and substantially horizontal path of movement. =In the operation of this embodiment, as the leading portion of each sheet enters into magnetic lields 36, 37 and 38 it is lifted upwardly toward magnets 25 and 26 but not into contact with them to maintain a floating and substantially horizontal path of movement. The intensity of magnetic elds 36, 37 and 38 also further serves to decelerate the forward speed of each sheet. As the leading por-tion of each sheet moves into the magnetic fields, as described above, the trailing portion leaves the conveyor and is pulled downwardly by gravity. Since magnets and 26 cannot support the weight of the entire sheet, it will be peeled downwardly away from magnetic fields 36, l37 and 38. The combined forces acting on each sheet as it 'falls downwardly is the same as described earlier as each sheet falls downwardly from the endless belts 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, the platform or skid 5'8 is removably supported on a pile elevator which includes a U- shaped frame or support 59 which carries the platform 5S and which is open at the front thereof to receive a portable track for unloading of said platform and the pile of sheets thereon from said elevator through the front of the delivery. The support 59 is lowered step-bystep to maintain the top of the pile of delivered sheets at a selected minimum distance ibelow magnets 25 and 26, and this is accomplished by a ratchet 100 drivably connected with the elevator and an oscillating pawl 99 engaged with said ratchet. The operation of the pawl and ratchet drive 99, 1001 is controlled by a solenoid 117 which is operatively associa-ted with a pawl controlling mask 122 to normally hold the pawl 99 out of operative connection with the ratchet 100. Solenoid 117 is in turn electrically controlled by `a switch which is `actuated by a movable arm 106 having mounted thereon a ls-wingable lever 107 which lever is disposed in opera-tive relation to the top of the pile of sheets on the elevator. The construction and operation of pawl and ratchet drive 99, 100 is similar to and is described in more detail in the abovementioned U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,800. When the -top of the pile of sheets on the elevator is at a normal level below the swingable lever 107, the arm 106 will not actuate the switch and the solenoid 117 and the oscillating pawl 99 is held out of engagemen-t with the ratchet 100 by the mask 122 and no downward movement will be imparted to `said elevator and said pile. As the delivered sheets d rop one after another on the pile the latter thereby progressively increases, the lever 107 is prevented from pivotally swinging on arm 106 by said piled sheets, whereupon the arm 106 is moved to actuate the switch and the solenoid 117 which in turn acts upon the pawl mask 122 to enable engagement of the pawl 99v with the ratchet 100 to rotate the latter and thereby effect downward movement of the elevator and the pile thereon until the top of said pile again reaches the normal level thereof.

Disposed slightly forward of rollers 13 and supported on cross members 22, 23 of the delivery fr-ame by means of forwardly extending bars 54, is a vertically extending metal plate 55 against which the successively delivered sheets are jogged, as hereinafter described, and against which the rear edge of the pile of delivered sheets bears during lowering of said pile and the elevator as hereinbefore described. Suitably secured to the upper end of plate 55 are three vertically extending guides 56 having the inner edges thereof aligned with the inner surface of said plate and constituting an extension thereof. The upper ends of guides 56 have inwardly inclined surfaces 57 whereby as the sheets fall downwardly the rear edge thereof is guided into alignment with the inner surfaces of plate 55 against which they are jogged into an evenly stacked pile of sheets.

IIn accordance with another aspect of the invention, sheet jogging devices of novel construction and operation are provided to cause the successive sheets upon delivery thereof to the support 59 to pile evenly thereon and without relative sliding movement. In the illustrated embodiment four sheet jogging devices indicated generally at 60 are employed at the front of the delivery, and a side magnet device indicated generally at 61 is employed at each side of said delivery. The front sheet jogging devices 60 are identical in construction, mounting and operation, and the side magnet devices 61 are identical in construction, mounting and operation, therefore a description of one of said front jogging devices and one of said side magnet devices will be sufficient for an understanding of the operation and function of all.

As herein shown, the front sheet jogging devices 60 are supported on the auxiliary frame described above in connection with the support for the magnets 2S, 26. In FIG. 1 of the drawings each front sheet jogging device 60 comprises a front plate 62 and a rear plate 63 both of which are supported by and depend downwardly from `a bifurcated collar 64 which is loosely mounted for pivotal movement on the cross member 42. Bifurcated collar 64 has a downwardly projecting leg 65 and a horizontally projecting leg 66 positioned at right angles to leg 65. The upper end of plate 63 is suitably secured to leg 65. The upper end of plate 62 is secured to the end of leg 66 by a hinge 67, said hinge permitting plate 62 to pivotally swing from its normally vertical position toward plate 63. Plates 62, 63 are thus pivotally mounted from their upper ends from the same support and depend vertically downward and parallel to each other. Loosely mounted bifurcated collar 64 and plates 62, 63 are adjustable along cross member 42 and may be secured in any desired position of adjustment thereon by a thumb screw 68 which is threaded into a collar engaged over said cross member and disposed between the forked arms of collar 6'4. The lower ends of plates 62 and 63 are resiliently connected by a spring 71. The vertical dimensions of plates 62, 63 are such that they extend a short distance below the normal level of the top of the pile of sheets on support 5S. Extending along the front surface of plate 62 from the lower end to a point substantially above the horizontal path of movement of a sheet from the conveyor is an energy absorbing cushion 72 comprising, for example, a pad of ensolite, type 22226, manufactured by U.S. Rubber Co. and covered with a sheet of neoprene Monarch to protect the ensolite from being cut. Plate 63 is weighted by a weight 73 which is adjustably secured to a pin 74 that is, in turn, secured to the end of plate 63.

In the initial operation of the pile delivery, the described front sheet joggers 60 are moved along the side members 40 until the front surface of cushion 72 touches the edges of a previously manually stacked and aligned pile of sheets resting on platform 58 as front joggers 60 loosely extend vertically downward. loggers 60 are adjusted, along cross member 42, for the width of the sheet being fed and the desired spacing of the joggers along that width.

Accordingly, as `each sheet is fed into the space over the pile support it is directed, supported and slowed down by the magnets 25 and 26 and endless belts 24 or by magnets 2S and 26 alone, as hereinbefore described, and the front edge of sai-d sheet strikes the cushion 72, thus checking the sheet `against further forward movement. Cushion 72 prevents damage to the front edge of the sheet as it strikes said joggers. rIhe force of the sheet striking against cushion 72 will force the lower end of plate 62 to pivotally move forward against the resilient force of 'spring 71 which will become compressed and transmit the force to the lower end of plate 63 which in turn will pivotally move for-ward as it absorbs the force transmitted to it. The shock absorbing force of plate 63 can be increased as desired by lmoving weight 73 outwardly along pin 7'4 away from said plate. Compressed sprin-g 71 will instantly return plate 62 to its vertical position lwhere it will receive the impact of the succeeding sheet of a series being rapidly fed from conveyor 10. As the sheet is peeled away from the magnetic fields 36, 37 and '38, it will drop flatwise toward the pile along the pile guide 55 onto the pile and to a final position thereon with its rear edge engaged with the pile guide 55 and its front edge aligned with the front edges `of the previously `delivered and piled sheets. Thus, each sheet is deposited on the pile without sliding forwardly or rearwardly relative to the previously delivered underlyin-g sheet and an even piling of sheets is obtained.

It is to be noted that as plate 62 returns to its vertical position, the lower end of cushion 72 thereon strikes the top portion of the previously piled sheets to impart a rear- 'ward tap or thrust to said sheets whereby engagement of the same `with the guide 55 and an even piling thereof is further assured. This novel construction of front sheet joggers prevents said joggers from swinging excessively when struck by a forward moving 'sheet and assures that they will be returned to the vertical position in time to absorb the impact of the succeeding sheet.

Referring no-w to FIG. 1 of the drawings, each of the side magnet devices 61 comprises a vertically extending permanent magnet 75 lwhich is U-shaped in top plan View or 4horizontal cross section, thereby forming north and south poles, indicated at N and S, which are transversely spaced with `respect to the vertical movement of the pile of sheets whereby a magnetic field horizontally extends into the `downward path `of the sheets being delivered to said pile. A vertically extending cover plate 76 having an inwardly inclined surface at the upper end thereof is suitably secured across the open end of said magnet. A vertically extending support bar 77 is suitably secured at its lower end to the rear of magnet 75 and supported and guided at its upper end for floating movement in vertical and horizontal directions on horizontally disposed bracket 1 78. Bracket 78 is adjustably secured to cross member 41, by bolts for example, whereby each side jogger may be adjusted for the width of the sheet being piled. A U- shaped plate 86 is bolted to the side of bracket 78 to provide a suitable slot 81 to slidably receive the upper end of magnet support bar 77. A series of apertures 82 in bracket 78 permits plate S0 to be bolted thereto at various places whereby forward and rearward adjustment of the support bar 77 on said bracket is possible. A pin 83 at the upper end of bar 77 limits its downward movement in slot 81. It will thus be noted that the floating .mounting of bars 77 enables the magnet 75 to freely yield upwardly in the event the elevator is accidently raised too high. Side magnet devices 61 magnetically attract the outer corners of the leading edge of the sheet as it falls downwardly past said magnets. In a flexible sheet, the outer corners of the leading edge thereof will tend to bend slightly downward in which case these bent down corners will strike the surface of the preceding piled sheet and mar it. Side magnets 61, however, =will magnetically attract these outer corners and -as the sheet falls downwardly said outer corners rwill be straightened out, thus preventing said corners from striking and marring the upper surface of the precedingly piled sheet.

While the present invention is herein illustrated and described in connection with the receiving and piling of metal sheets as the same are discharged from a combined drying over and Isheet turnover unit, it is equally adapted (for the receiving and piling of metal sheets discharged fro-m various other instrumentalities acting on such sheets. Moreover, the present invention may be equally adapted to any other type of apparatus other than a receiving and piling apparatus which would require metallic sheets to be suspended in a horizontal path of movement and their lforward speed simultaneously decelerated.

Various changes may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts of -the illustrated embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will now be clear to those skilled in the art. It is therefore to be expressly understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof herein illustrated and described.

What is claimed is:

1. In the combination of a support for a pile of metal sheets and means to convey metal sheets one after another generally horizontally forward into the space over said support, a sheet slow-down means located above only -a portion of the horizontal path of movement of said sheets in said space and adapted to contact the upper surface of the forward portion of each sheet as it moves into said space, magnet means located above the sheet slowdown means having a magnetic eld extending downwardly through the slow down means and through only the forward portion of the horizontal path of movement of said sheet and adapted to magnetically attract only the forward portion of each sheet and lift the same so that its upper surface is in contact with the slow-down means while at the same time exerting a decelerating force upon said sheet whereby the sheet is decelerated so that the pull of gravity on the entire sheet will overcome the magnetic attraction of said magnet and the sheet will fall ilatwise onto the pile support.

2. In the combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sheet slow-down means comprises a pair of transversely spaced non-magnetic elements adapted to engage portions of the upper surface of said sheets.

3. In a delivery apparatus comprising a support for a pile of metal sheets, means for conveying sheets one after another generally horizontally forward into the space over said support, magnetic means located above only said pile support and above a portion of the path of each sheet in said space and adapted to temporarily support only a portion of said sheet suspended in said space and to maintain a generally horizontal path of movement of said sheet through said space but not to support the entire weight of each sheet and to decrease the forward speed thereof, a stop means adapted to limit the forward movement of said sheet when the leading edge of said sheet is in vertical alignment with the forward edge of said pile support, whereupon the sheet will fall flatwise downwardly and onto said pile support.

4. A delivery apparatus comprising a support for a pile of metal sheets, means for conveying sheets one after another generally horizontally forward into the space over said support, a magnet having a magnetic field extending downwardly into and through only the forward portion of the path of travel of each sheet into said space over the support, a slow-down means located between said magnet and said path of a sheet, said magnet and said slowdown means being positioned in relation to each other and to said path of travel of each sheet so that only the forward portion of each sheet is magnetically attracted and lifted and the upper surface thereof is temporarily held in contact with said slow-down means, said magnetic field having an intensity sufficient to support only the forward portion of each sheet whereby when the entire sheet is in the space over said support the weight of said sheet will carry the same out of said magnetic field and the same will fall downwardly onto said pile support.

5. A delivery apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the slow-down means comprises a pair of transversely spaced non-magnetic elements adapted to engage portions of the upper surface of said sheets.

6. A delivery apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the slow-down means comprises a pair of non-magnetic transversely spaced endless belts adapted to engage the outer longitudinal edge portions of the upper surface of said sheets.

7. A delivery apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the endless belts are moved in lthe same direction as the movement of said sheet'in said space but at a substantially less rate of speed than the entrance `speed of said `sheets into said space.

8. A delivery apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the magnet is of the permanent type and comprises a plurality of magnets each being U-shaped and having a pair of transversely spaced and aligned unlike magnetic poles with a magnetic field between said poles and Wherein said magnets are longitudinally spaced along the path 0f movement of said sheets and aligned with each other so that unlike poles of each magnet are adjacent but spaced from each other thereby creating an additional magnetic field between adjacent magnets.

9. The method of delivering rnetal sheets to a pile support comprising the steps of feeding sheets one after another and in non-overlapping relation to each other and into a generally horizontally extending path in the space over said support, temporarily engaging only the forward end of each sheet after Vsaid end has passed substantially into the space over said support and before said forward end has passed completely `through said space and simultaneously with said engaging causing the horizontally forward motion of each sheet to be decelerated, causing the rear end of each sheet to fall downwardly as each sheet is decelerated whereby the entire sheet will be pulled downwardly by gravity and the forward end will be detached from said temporary support.

10. The method of delivering metal sheets to a pile support comprising the steps of feeding sheets one after another and in non-overlapipng relation to each other and into a generally horizontally extending path into the space over said support, causing only the forward end of each sheet to engage and to be retained by a fixed support afte r said end has passed substantially into the space over said support and simultaneously with said engaging causing the horizontally forward motion of each sheet to be decelerated, causing the rear end of each sheet to fall down- 10 wardly as each sheet is decclerated whereby the entire sheet will be pulled downwardly by gravity and the forward end will be removed from engagement from said fixed support.

11. The method of delivering metal sheets `to a pile support comprising the steps of feeding sheets one after another and in non-overlapping relation to each other and into a generally horizontally extending path in the space over said support, `temporarily securing only the top surface of the forward end of each sheet to a fixed support after said end has passed substantially into the space over said support and simultaneously with said securing applying an opposing horizontal force `to said top surface to cause the horizontally forward motion of each sheet to be decelerated, causing the rear end of each sheet to fall downwardly as each sheet is decelerated whereby the entire sheet will be pulled downwardly by gravity and the forward end will be detached yfrom said fixed support.

2O References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,183,798 Theise Dec. 19, 1939 2,527,911 Buccicone Oct. 3l, 1950 25 2,779,594 Buccicone Jan. 29, 1957 2,860,874 Gulick Nov. 18, 1958 

